Locked
by lost-in-winds
Summary: College AU: It's not like Merlin had actually intended to become Arthur's booty call every week; he had just been trying to celebrate his best friend's birthday the night they first hooked up. Now, Arthur sends him a single word, 'Tonight', and Merlin can't say no.


Hello fellow readers!

This is a rough draft of a story I am trying out. I just want to see where's it's going and how well people receive it. With that in mind, I know there are mistakes. My beta is not available right now and I want to get the story up on here before she gets her hands on it. I promise to go back and fix it and that'll probably be when the story is complete. I plan to go about 5 to 6 chapters long. I will try to keep my updates to every 2 weeks. The title of the story is subject to change.

I accept any support I can get so feel free to point out some places that seem awkward. Any reviews I get are to help me as a writer. With all that said, please enjoy.

***UPDATE: Someone mentioned that they couldn't follow a transition from past to present so I tried to fix that. If there's still confusion, please point it out and I'll go ahead and smooth it over.

* * *

It's not like Merlin had actually intended to become Arthur's booty call every week; he had just been trying to celebrate his best friend's birthday the night they first hooked up. Now, Arthur sends him a single word, '_Tonight?'_, and Merlin can't say no. He responds immediately and waits in lusty excitement for the events of the night. And if anyone asked Merlin about what was going on, he would say he was just venting his sexual frustrations with someone who was more than willing. If anyone asked Arthur, more precisely, if Morgana asked Arthur what he thought he was doing, he would sigh and give an answer similar to Merlin's: that it was just sex with someone who was willing and there were no strings attached. Easy.

~.~

"Merlin!" Gwaine called. He'd been trying to get Merlin's attention for a while but to no avail. Merlin gave no sign that he was even aware of his surroundings, let alone lonely Gwaine shouting his name. Merlin walked towards his favorite study place whilst listening to music without much care in the world. He had just turned in his last, most important paper and had a feeling he had done fairly well on it.

Gwaine, finally catching up to Merlin, tapped on his shoulder and said slightly out of breath, "Dude, you have got to pay more attention to your surroundings. I've been chasing you down since you got out of class."

Merlin grinned sheepishly at Gwaine. He took out his ear buds and switched off the music. "You know it would've been easier if you'd called me to tell me to turn around." Merlin resumed his pace towards his destination with Gwaine following next to him. "What did you need anyway?" Merlin asked.

"I wanted to invite you to my birthday party this weekend." Gwaine took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Merlin as he explained, "this is the address of where the party's being held. It's a friend's apartment. He's lending it to the party cause for the night"

Merlin nodded and took the small paper in his hand to study the address and the little map that was underneath it. He took note of how close it was to the university before inputting the information into his phone.

"It's going to be epic. There's going to be hot chicks everywhere, and booze, and birthday presents," Gwaine prattled on.

Merlin could only chuckle at Gwaine's attempt to sell him the party. Merlin already knew he was going when Gwaine had brought up the subject. He had great fondness for Gwaine and new Gwaine felt the same. Because of that friendship, there was no way he would miss one of his closest friend's birthday party.

Gwaine noticing Merlin's chuckle stopped mid-rant and said, "Did I forget to mention hot dudes?" Gwaine waggled his eyebrows at Merlin in a lecherous smirk. "I hear Will is looking for another night with you, big shot." Gwaine laughed as he elbowed Merlin in the ribs.

"Is he now," Merlin mumbled as he soothed the ribs Gwaine had elbowed.

"I still don't understand how you can fuck so many guys with that tall, skinny body of yours." Gwaine shook his head. "Guys basically melt when they're near you. You've got to tell me your secret!" At this last comment, Gwaine stopped, took Merlin by his cheeks, and dragged him until they were eyelevel. "Is it your eyes? Your mouth?" Gwaine moved Merlin's face between his hands. "Oh! It has to be your cheekbones. You lucky bastard."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Gwaine," Merlin said as he pried Gwaine's hands off his face. He continued to walk and eventually Gwaine got the hint and caught up to Merlin.

"Whatever your charm is, don't you lose it!" Gwaine wiggled his finger at Merlin. "You've got men lining up to have a night with you. Are you really that good?" He inquired.

Merlin gave Gwaine a sideways glance and gave the smallest twitch of his lip. Gwaine caught the look and his eyes widened comically. "You sly dog! Can I get some pointers?"

Merlin laughed and shook his head. "You're plenty good yourself, Gwaine. Or so I've been told." He winked and his laughter died to a smirk. "Don't worry. I won't steal anyone's attention from you at your party."

"You better not. I intend to get the best sex of my life that night and I don't need my partner taken by you, Mr. I'm-a-sex-god-in-disguise," Gwaine huffed.

Merlin nodded in recognition then waved to Gwaine as he reached the library. "I'll be at your party, Gwaine. I'm going to witness how the mighty Gwaine conquers the person who will participate with you in the best sex of your life."

Merlin gave one last chuckle before making his way to the library doors.

He'd met Gwaine through his best friend, Gwen. Being the good friend she was, Gwen had introduced Merlin to Gwaine thinking they'd be good for each other and that perhaps they would settle down. It turned out Gwaine was a notorious playboy and Merlin, though the quieter of the two, wasn't too shabby himself. Later they found out they had more in common than just their playboy status and a solid friendship was formed. If anyone needed to contact Merlin and Gwen wasn't around to ask, then Gwaine was the one to go to.

~.~

By midnight the party was in full swing. The apartment Gwaine had borrowed from his friend, the friend who was among the crowd enjoying the party maybe slightly less than Gwaine, smelled like sweat and alcohol. Music blared from powerful speakers and drinks sloshed around, spilling onto floor. Some people, inebriated, were making out with one another while others close to screwing each other against a wall fully clothed.

Gwaine had yet to find the right person to enjoy the best sex of his life but when Merlin told him the clock was ticking, Gwaine downed a cup of beer and bellowed that the night was still young. Clearly, Gwaine had had a lot to drink as well.

Merlin danced in the middle of the living room which was acting as a make-shift dance floor. He didn't have a cup in his hand like the guys who were trying to grind up against him; he had finished one not too long ago. It was difficult to tell who was grabbing at him, more specifically his ass and crotch because they were basically trying to dry hump him on the dance floor. Not that Merlin minded, of course. He enjoyed the attention he was getting but he didn't think it would go anywhere. He'd had his share of threesomes and he was not in the mood for one that night.

Once the song ended, Merlin managed to extricate himself from the young men and walked towards the kitchen to get a drink. Amidst the throng of people, he spotted a blonde head that reminded him of Arthur, the one popular kid that never acknowledged Merlin's existence during high school. Not being able to see the rest of body, or even the guy's face, Merlin chuckled at the idea of seeing Arthur again; let alone having Arthur recognize him. He didn't even know why the blonde hair trigged Merlin's memory of Arthur but he wasn't going to overanalyze it. Maybe he was a bit drunker than he thought.

With thoughts of Arthur going around his mind, Merlin wasn't paying too much attention to his surroundings and almost bumped into Will. He'd been avoiding the guy all night since Gwaine had mentioned him earlier in the week. Will was an okay fellow albeit too possessive and Merlin was not looking for a relationship, especially if the other party wanted to suffocate him. He turned away expertly and ducked behind a group of people. Content that he'd lost will, Merlin entered the kitchen and poured himself a drink.

Arthur tried to maneuver through the throng of intoxicated people. Getting through a mass crowd was difficult enough and when you added alcohol to the task, it becomes an almost impossible mission. Bodies pressed up against him. Some tried to dance with him while others, in their deliria of the booze, sloshed droplets of their drink onto Arthur's clothes.

Arthur was regretting ever feeling pity for Gwaine not having a place to hold his party. Gwaine and he were good mates. They had had economics together during their freshmen year and the strong friendship they'd forged then was still ongoing.

So at the time, lending his apartment hadn't sounded like a bad idea. Arthur needed a party to relax in so why not bring it to himself? He knew there would be alcohol and college students. He knew the risk of people puking in his plants and couches. Even knowing all of this, Arthur threw reason to wind and agreed to host Gwaine's birthday party in his apartment.

'I need to get laid,' Arthur thought as he ran his hand through his hair.

In the midst of the crowd he noticed a guy between two other men. The middle man was thinner, could even be considered lanky. But then again, a lean man would be looked at as lanky if they were currently the man meat between two bulky, well-built dudes. He danced along the guys grinding up against him, occasionally grinding back or throwing his head forward when one of the men would grab his crotch.

Arthur was entranced by this guy. His brown hair stood out between the two blondes and if that wasn't enough, his cheekbones drew the attention of anyone standing near him. Arthur licked his lips and started towards the guy. He intended to have him. He was, after all his type. He reminded Arthur of someone years back and whenever he found someone that resembled him, he set out to sleep with them. Arthur though, refused to analyze his type and why it had even started. He just went with the flow. And hey, if it got him laid, who cared.

Having noticed that the guy disengaged himself from the blondes and walked towards the kitchen, Arthur followed, walking predatorily. This time, getting through the mass was a bit easier as it thinned out the farther he got from the living room.

When he reached the kitchen, Merlin was drinking out of a red cup. Arthur stared at Merlin's throat, admiring the way his Adam's apple bobbed with every gulp of liquid. He strolled towards Merlin and reached him just as he removed the cup from his lips.

Arthur took note of the moisture left on Merlin's lips before he said, "You have talent there mate if you can chug alcohol like water." Arthur made sure to catch Merlin's eyes before he licked his lips again. As the words left Arthur's mouth, he berated himself. Apparently he'd had more to drink than he'd thought and it was hindering his ability to come up with smooth and flirtatious lines.

Merlin, not oblivious to Arthur's attempt at flirting, raised an eyebrow. "It _was_ water," he replied. Smirking, he took his cup and tipped it enough so Arthur could see its contents.

Merlin was surprised when he thought he had seen Arthur in the crowd before going into the kitchen but he wasn't prepared for his assumptions to be proven correct. He was even more taken aback when Arthur attempted to flirt with him, or at least Merlin was sure he was flirting. Arthur had a twinkle in his eye that Merlin found irresistible. It promised devilish fun, fun that Merlin was having a hard time letting pass by.

He also noticed Arthur hadn't recognized him but Merlin didn't blame him. Arthur never knew Merlin existed when they attended high school together. Even when they had classes in common, Arthur never once turned in his direction. Merlin wasn't childish enough to ignore Arthur's current advances because of something that happened in high school. He was above that, Merlin told himself.

So after a few flirty lines, a lot of which involved Arthur touching Merlin's arms and anywhere he could get his hands on, Merlin agreed to follow Arthur into his bedroom for some privacy. They walked casually to the room, Arthur staring at Merlin's behind the whole time wishing to run his hands across.

Reaching the bedroom, Arthur pinned Merlin to the unopened door and kissed him. Merlin, pleasantly surprised by Arthur's eagerness, gave a slight chuckle and mumbled against Arthur's lips, "A bit eager now, aren't we?" He was just teasing Arthur despite being very excited himself.

Arthur's response was to push open the door and shove Merlin inside. Locking the door behind him, Arthur grabbed Merlin and pressed him against his chest. He whispered huskily into Merlin's ear, "You could say that."

Arthur's left hand held onto Merlin's lower back, making sure he gave little space for Merlin to squirm around while his right hand groped Merlin's ass. With a sigh on his lips, Merlin pulled Arthur into another kiss. He held Arthur's head in place, randomly tugging the hair on the back of Arthur's head.

Arthur pulled back. As Arthur reached for his own shirt he growled, "Take off your clothes." The single command spiked Merlin's arousal. It was a combination of Arthur's commanding voice and how long it had been since Merlin had last gotten laid. Or maybe it was the fact that Merlin liked when a man took control of what he wanted.

Merlin barely removed his shirt before Arthur pulled him back for a searing kiss. Their chests flushed against each other, Merlin relished the feel of Arthur's bare skin against him. Arthur's hands reached out to Merlin's neck and tugged him closer, desperate for more body contact. Merlin caressed down Arthur's chest until he reached the hem of his jeans. With one hand holding onto Arthur's hip, Merlin palmed Arthur through his pants. Arthur broke the kiss momentarily with a heady moan that urged Merlin on.

The bass of the music in the background resounded through Merlin's chest. It was fast and with the rapid sound of his own heartbeat, Merlin couldn't tell the difference between the music and the rhythm of his blood.

By the time Merlin's knees reached the bed, they were both naked and recklessly touching each other. Neither knew who inched towards the bed first, only that Merlin had been caught underneath Arthur when they fell onto it. The flurry of kisses, moans, and grunts that followed after were a blur to them both. The heat around them increased and their skin glistened with sweat. They only heard themselves in the confines of the room; pleads for more, harder, and the sounds of their sloppy kisses and groans.

Arthur came first with a throaty moan poorly muffled into Merlin's neck. At the feel of Arthur's teeth on his throat, Merlin followed with his release a few strokes of his dick after.

Their heartbeat thrummed in their ears as Arthur remained inside Merlin for a short time after. Arthur was the first to move; he rolled of Merlin and worked on steadying his breath.

When Merlin felt Arthur shift, he put his hands below his head. He never thought he'd be in that situation: lying in bed after mind-blowing sex with none other than Arthur. In high school it had been a wet dream, not that he'd tell anyone that he had sex dreams about Mr. Popular. He wasn't particularly ashamed of being gay; it was that if anyone found out his dreams had involved Arthur, his tormentors would have had a field day. Merlin had tried to avoid attention and people finding about his dreams wouldn't have helped.

So he was very surprised when Arthur had come up to him and proceeded to seduce him. Who would have thought that Arthur, Mr. Popular, liked men and more importantly, that he'd been interested in Merlin enough to have sex with him.

Merlin tried to stifle his laugh but Arthur turned towards him with a frown on his face.

"You find sex with me something to laugh about?" Arthur asked confused as to why Merlin was mischievously giggling.

At hearing Arthur's voice, Merlin got up and edged towards the side of the bed. He reached for his boxer shorts seeing as they were closest, and scanned the room for the rest of his clothes. Locating his shirt he replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact I do."

Arthur glared.

"Don't pout, Arthur." Merlin deflected Arthur's glare and put his jeans back on instead. "I enjoyed the sex, if that's what bothers you about me laughing."

Putting the last article of clothe back on, Merlin bent down next to Arthur's pants and grabbed the phone that was in the pocket. He wasn't sure exactly what prompted him into programming his contact information into Arthur's phone. It wasn't like Merlin to sleep with the same guy twice, let alone be the one to establish some connection. Sure, the other party asked for Merlin's number but Merlin had casually deflected their request.

So before he had time to rethink his actions, he held the phone towards Arthur so he could take it from him. "Call me anytime." Merlin hesitated before adding, "or text; texting is easier. If you can't locate me, ask Gwaine and he'll probably know where I am."

Arthur raised an eyebrow and it was at that moment that he realized Merlin had used his name. He hadn't given Merlin his name because he thought it would be a simple one-night stand. It was a quick fuck at a party and he wasn't going to put any effort into contacting the person again. Or that's what he thought before he actually went to bed with the guy. He had exceeded Arthur's expectations by far and a second time with him seemed like a better idea as the seconds ticked by.

"Do I know you?" Arthur asked. "You used my name so you at least know me."

Merlin's mouth made an 'o' shape before he responded with a weak smile, "we went to high school together and we had some classes in common. I don't expect you to remember so don't worry about it." Merlin gave a slight shrug before smiling tightly.

Merlin walked to the door and gave a small wave before he shut it behind him, the tight smile not leaving his face. Once Arthur heard the click of the door, he glanced down to look at the contact information. At seeing Merlin's name, his eyes widened and a rush of high school memories flashed through his mind.


End file.
